Alarm-clock.



A. A. WOELFEL.

ALARM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 19!?- 1,254,956. Patented Jan. 29,1918.

ALPHONSO A. WOELFEL, OF CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON.

ALARM- CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

Application filed March 14, 1917. Serial No. 154,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHoNso A. Worn- FBL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Centralia, county of Lewis, and State of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm- Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to alarm clocks, and more particularly to means, operated by the winding mechanism of the alarm, for automatically releasing the locking mechanism which is used to stop the alarm mechanism after it has commenced to run. It is quite common for a person, after being awakened by an alarm clock, to set the locking mechanism so as to stop the operation of the alarm. It is also quite common, when,

next winding the alarm for another occasion, to forget to release the locking mechanism, and the alarm, therefore, fails to serve its urpose the next time, because the lockmg mechanism has not been released. The object of my invention is to provide means in connection with the alarm mechanism of a. clock, whereby the winding of said alarm mechanism automatically unlocks the locking mechanism and leaves the alarm in condition to operate at the time for which it is set. i 4

In order to explain m invention I have 4 illustrated one simple ant practical embodiment thereof on the accompanying sheet of drawings, which I will now describe.

In the drawing, I have shown the back of a standard alarm clock, with a. part broken out to show the application of my invention thereto.

In describing the invention I will designate the parts which are old with the letter O with an exponent, or aflix, and the parts which are new with the letter N with an exponent, or afiix.

Referring now in detail to the drawings,

' O designates the bell, or alarm instrument,

and O the hammer mounted upon, a stem 0, in the usual manner. A locking member 0 is pivotally mounted adjacent the stem 0 of the hammer, and when moved into the position shown in full lines, it operates to lock the hammer against operation. In other words, the alarm is shut 03. When the member 0, is moved to the position shown in dotted lines, it is clear of the hammer stem 0, and the alarm is free to operate. The usual winding keys 0 and O, are

shown; the winding key 0, controlling the usual clock movement, while the winding key 0, controls the alarm-operating movement.

My invention comprises a link N, connected at one end to the locking member 0, and at its opposite end to a lever N pivotally mounted at N, and constructed at its opposite end to be operated upon by a cam wheel N mounted upon a spindle N, provided with a gear N, adapted to be turned by the pinion, or gear, 0, on the arbor, or spindle on which is mounted the alarm winding key 0. Gears N and O are indicated by dot and dash lines onl as they form no part of my invention. t will be understood of course that the cam wheel N, may be mounted upon an independent spindle, or arbor, or, if the construction permits, may be mounted upon one of the regular spindles of the clock mechanism and conuccted in any desirable manner so that it will be turned in the direction indicated by the arrow, when the alarm winding key 0', is turned to wind the alarm, A spring N', is mounted adjacent the points of the cam wheel N, for the purpose of normally holding said wheel in a position to allow the end of the lever N to always move into the position shown in full lines, and so as not to catch on a point of the cam wheel N. A sprin N, is mounted adjacent the lever N, for t e purpose of holding it in a position so that its opposite end will clear the cam wheel N, when the locking member 0, is in the on position, and to prevent its accidental movement. This spring N is not strong enough, however, to move the looking member 0, from the 011' to the on position without the assistance of the cam wheel N The operation of my invention will be clear from the drawing, taken in connection with the foregoing description, but may be briefly described as follows:

\Ve will assume that the alarm has just operated and that the person awakened thereby has moved the lockin member 0, to the position shown in full lines, and has thus locked the alarm against further operation. By my invention it is not necessa that the person should remember to unloc the alarm the next time he winds it, but in winding the alarm by means of the alarm key 0, he thereby also turns the cam wheel N, through its operating connections with said alarm key 0, and thus moves the lever N, from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines, automatically moving the locking member 0, from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines.

I am aware that my invention can be changed in man details to adapt it to alarm clocks of different. constructions without departing from the spirit thereof and I do not therefore limit my invention to the articular embodiment thereof here shown or urposes of illustration, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock, in combination with a vibrating hanuner, a manually operable cut-off member for holding said hammer a i st action, a link connected to said cuto i iiiember, a pivoted lever connected to said link, and a cam connected to be operated with the winding of said alarm, said cam being adapted to move said lever by a cam engagement therewith.

2. In an alarm clock, in combination with the alarm hammer, and the manually operable cut-off member thereof, a pivoted lever having one end connected with said cut-ofl' member, a toothed, lever-operating wheel positioned to have a cam engagement with said lever, whereby to move the same as it is turned for automatically moving said cutoff member out of locking position, and means for automatically holding said toothed lever-operating wheel in proper stopped position relative to said l'ever, substantially as described.

Signed at Centralia, Washington, this 7th day of March, 1917.

ALPHONSO A. WOELFEL.

In presence of O. T. Wnnmnx, A. B. Huomzs. 

